George Strait still king

Why Strait has reigned at the top of country music for three decades.

October 16, 2010 at 6:24PM
GEORGE STRAIT: ACM ARTIST OF THE DECADE ALL STAR CONCERT, a new special to be broadcast Wednesday, May 27 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The special pays tribute to "The King of Country," George Strait, and his legendary 25-year career. It taped at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, April 6. Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS �2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
GEORGE STRAIT: ACM ARTIST OF THE DECADE ALL STAR CONCERT, a new special to be broadcast Wednesday, May 27 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The special pays tribute to "The King of Country," George Strait, and his legendary 25-year career. It taped at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, April 6. Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS �2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Dml - Cbs/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Kenny Chesney sells more concert tickets, Brad Paisley makes more creative videos and Tim McGraw lands on more magazine covers. But George Strait, 58, who is about to start his fourth decade as a country singer, is still the king of country music. Here are 10 reasons why.

1 He has scored a record 44 No. 1 singles on Billboard's country chart, from "Fool Hearted Memory" in 1982 to "River of Love" in 2008.

2 He has landed a single in Billboard's country Top 10 in each of the past 30 years (including "I Gotta Get to You" in 2010). He's the only artist in any genre to accomplish that.

3 The Texan has incredible staying power. In his third decade in the business, a time when many established stars coast, Strait was honored as artist of the decade -- the '00s -- by the Academy of Country Music. Billboard topped that, in June, by naming Strait top country artist of the past 25 years.

4 The respect for his consistently quality work never ends. His "Twang" is nominated for album of the year in next month's Country Music Association Awards. He has received a record 81 CMA nominations and won an unprecedented 22 trophies. No one else has captured best male vocalist in two different decades -- and he's nominated again this year.

5 He still fills arenas across the country -- and stadiums in Texas.

6 The King invites the right princesses to his touring party; this time it's Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack.

7 Strait travels with the best backup band on the arena circuit, the Ace in the Hole Band.

8 Can any male countrystar top this? He's still married to his high school sweetheart -- 39 years and counting.

9 He still has the gleam in his eyes, the megawatt smile and the handsome looks. And his voice sounds as mellifluous as ever.

10 Strait refuses to change, modernize or record with a pop star. He doesn't have to.

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719

about the writer

about the writer

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

See Moreicon

More from No Section (Assign Gallery and Videos here)

See More

The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, ending a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge.